Railfanning

Dunsmuir had its origins one mile south of its current location as the town of Pusher. Pusher was little more than a boxcar and a few outbuildings. When the town moved to its current location and changed its name to Dunsmuir in 1888, it became a major link in the north-south rail line.

A roundhouse was built to repair the workhorse steam engines. Crews were changed here and still are by the Union Pacific Railroad. Nearly half the town’s adult population was employed by the railroad. The old roundhouse came down as a result of a heavy snowstorm in 1961, but the turntable still stands and operates.

Avid rail buffs from all over the world visit Dunsmuir to relive the golden years of railroading and to photograph trains that run through some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.